The Umbrella Academy: The Big Short’s John Magaro Joins Series

The Big Short‘s John Magaro is going from Wall Street crisis to troubles of a slightly more epic (read: global) nature, joining the cast of Netflix’s adaptation of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba‘s comic book series The Umbrella Academy. Magaro is set to play Leonard Peabody, described as “a sweet Average Joe who begins to take music lessons from Vanya (Ellen Page) and sees something special in this constantly dismissed wallflower, giving her a confidence that she’s never had before. Their love story plays out against the larger than life struggles of the Umbrella Academy.”

Magaro’s feature film work also includes Carol and The Finest Hours. On the television side, he’s had recurring roles in The Good Wife, Orange is the New Black and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

The Umbrella Academy is a 10-episode series based on the graphic novels of the same name created and written by Way, illustrated by Bá, and published by Dark Horse Comics. Netflix’s adaptation follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes (The Umbrella Academy) — The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror and The White Violin — as they work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities.

Credit: James Jean

“I am thrilled that The Umbrella Academy has found a home at Netflix. I couldn’t think of a better place for the vision Gabriel Bá and myself had when creating the comic, and cannot wait for people to experience that world as a live action show.”

– Gerard Way

Netflix’s version of The Hargreeves Family includes: Page (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Hard Candy) as sister Vanya, who appears to manifest no super powers but has an amazingly strong interest in music. Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones, Black Sails) as Luther/Spaceboy, leader of The Umbrella Academy; Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hair, Wicked) as Allison/The Rumor, who can alter reality with her lies; David Castañeda (Blindspot, Switched at Birth) as Diego/The Kraken, the reckless and rebellious member of the family; Robert Sheehan (Mortal Engines, Mute) as Klaus/The Séance, who can speak with the dead when shoeless; and Aidan Gallagher as Number Five/The Boy, the family’s time-travelling, perpetually young brain.

Also joining the series are award-winning singer/actress Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) as ruthless, time-travelling hitwoman Cha-Cha; Cameron Britton (Mindhunter) as her deadly efficient partner Hazel; Colm Feore (House of Cards) as world-renowned billionaire industrialist and eccentric inventor Sir Reginald Hargreeves; Adam Godley (Breaking Bad) as Pogo, a genetically engineered, tweed jacket-wearing, talking chimpanzee and family advisor/mentor; and Ashley Madekwe (Revenge) as Detective Patch, a driven, fast riser within the police department whose investigation into a string of murders ends up getting the attention of The Academy.

Universal Cable Productions is set to produce the series, with Steve Blackman (Fargo, Legion) serving as executive producer and showrunner. Way, Bluegrass Television and Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg are set to executive produce a pilot directed by Peter Hoar from a script by Jeremy Slater.

Prouldy serving as TV Editor, Ray started with Bleeding Cool in 2013 as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought aboard as staff in 2017. Counting John Cusack as his pop culture "spirit animal," his "word fu" stays strong as he continues trying really hard to be the sheppard...